Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-12-15
Blaine On Cleveland.

NEW YORK, Dec IA Tribune report
er interviewed Mr.. Blaine ia Paris to-day.
Mr. Blaine said: II have been reading an
abstract from the Presidents message, and
was especially interested in the comments
of the London papers. These papers all
assume 10 declare the message free trade
manifesto, evidently anticipating an en-
larged market for English fabrics in the
United States as a consequence of the
Presidents recommendations Perhaps
that fact stamped the character of the
message more clearly than any words OF
mine can. They simply mean that the
President recommended what, in the Unit
ed States, il known a a revenue tariff,
rejecting the protective feature a the
object and not even permitting protection
to result freely as an incident TO revenue
duties The President recommends re-
tanning the internal tax that the tariff may
be forced down even below the fair reve-
nue. standard. | should nlge the repeal
of the tobacco tax at unyr, even before
the Christmas holidays | would not adj
wise the repeal of the whiskey tax. Other
considerations are to he taken into ac-
count in regard to whiskey. There is the
moral side of It. To cheaper the price of
whiskey is To increase its consumption
enormously, Whiskev has done vast
titdt Ol dinl III the uiNCh NVAth
try to make il do some good. lwould use
the tax to fortify the cities on the sea-
board.
Some honest and misguided friends of
temperance urge that the government
should not use the money derived from the
tax on whiskey. My reply is that the tax
on wni>key by the federal government
with the suppression Of all Illicit distilla-
tion and the consequent enhancement OF
price has been a powerful agent in tenn
pcrancc reform by putting it beyond the
reach of 50 many, The amount of whskey
consumed Ia the United States per capita
today j. not more than 90 per cent. of that
consumed thirty years ago. The whiskey
tax should he 80 modified a. 10 permit all
who use pure alcohol in the arts and me
chaucal pursuits 10 have II free In all
such cases the tax could he RENTED with
out danger just a. now the tax on
spirits exported j. RENTED.
should seriously object to a repeal Of
the duty on wool. 1t would work great
injustice to MANY interests and seriously
discourage wha, We should honestly en-
courage. viz, sheep CULTURE among the
farmers throughout the nn,pn- If the
Presidents recommendation j. adopted 1t
would possibly Increase our export trade
in a few articles Of peculiar construction
but IL would increase the import trade ten
fold in the great staple fabrics Of WOODEN
and cotton goods. ami iron and steel in all
the thousand and one shapes in which they
are wrought. How are we to export Sta
pie fabrics to the markets Of Eurupc I'M
lr>> We make them cheaper than they do
in Europe: and how are wc t" manutac-
turc them cheaper unless We get cheaper
Labor: The question of labor uuderlic>
the whole subject II i. ia fact. the en-
tire question. Whenever We can fore" the
carpenters. ma>pns. iron-wnrkcr~ and me-
chanic> in every department tn work A.
ch,IpiN and ike poorly in the ui."d
States A. Similar worktnrn do IN Europe.
we can. Of course, manufacture just A.
chcaply a. they DID, But am Totally up-
posed 20 the policy that would entail >Hch
results To attempt il is equi, alrut - social
and financial rv'oiutinn. AMI that Noali
bring untold distress